Suspension thoughts
I've been giving additional thought to rear leaf suspension improvements for the Broncobra...which will be added at the same time (basically) as the 4.56 & trac-lock with Moser axle. I'll be half-caging (behind seats to A column & firewall & wind screen protected) and building the DOM shock hoops off the cage tubes & new rear chassis crossmember, everything frame attached.
The problems with the leaf suspension systems are (short list) for a desert truck: sway bar which is necessary for control at speed, but limits suspension travel, somewhat limiting spring travel & almost non existent adjustability of compression-save swapping in different leaf packs for different terrain and pinion/spring wrap...especially when going to springs that actually flex.
Spring wrap is an important problem with high horsepower & "tork" which, thankfully, I have a little of. The lower gear ratio I'll be going to means fewer teeth engaged between ring gear and pinion & if that's not enough of a problem axle wrap sets in and changes the pinion angle by the pinion gear try ing to climb up the ring gear and twisting the bottom of the axle housing toward the front of the truck & then up (clockwise twist, opposite of the tire rotation in drive) this has the potential of taking out all manner of driveline components.
Traditional traction bars are the simple solution but really limit suspension travel and are often the first thing that hits an obstacle. I'm going to design a bar that eliminates these problems and will still flex. It will be an off road version of the Caltrac drag & street bars, but will utilize double bars, one on each side of each leaf pack, which will allow me to mount the rear bracket closer to the axle while the bars on each side of the pack exert equal pressure on the articulated bellcrank plates that rotate on the front spring pack eyelet bolt. For those that did not come from a drag car back ground and are not familiar with the Cal track design, the bellcrank plates which are triangular shaped and have a hole drilled at each angle. there is one plate on each side of the spring pack & the spring pack bolt goes through 1 of these holes and then the spring and finally the other plate, the traction bars are connected to the two plates bottom most holes with a heim joint and rod on back to another heim connected to the axle end brackets. The top holes of the bell crank plates (which holes are now positioned above the spring pack) are then connected by a heavy cross bolt.
The action of the axle twisting forward transfers this motion through the bars & to the bell crank which pivots on the spring packs forward eye bolt and presses the hardened cross bolt of the upper most part of the bellcrank down onto the top of the spring pack, which actually pushes the spring and thus the tire & wheel down ...just the opposite of a traditional trac. bar which has a tendecy to lesson (lift) the pressure on the tires. Of course the axle wrap is stopped when the bellcrank bolt increases pressure on the upper spring. When not under heavy acceleration the traction bar is basically not engaged and will not change compression or rebound of the suspension...like it's not even there, and safely tucked out of the way!
If the articulated bars work as I've described, I'll be able to run longer/softer springs re-arched that actually allow some wheel travel and coupled with a modified (longer & profiled) shackle, attached to a flipped shackle bracket, I may have my solution. Attached adjustable long travel shocks to the cage and repositioned lower shock mounts should control rebound and round it out my suspension solution.
Now all I've got to do is wait till it gets to cold to wheel the little feller and build some of this more relevant stuff!